Let The Galaxy Burn

by Marc

  Captain Estrus was, once more, suppressing his irritation with the person on the other end of his comm-link. ‘I don’t care what you say, commander, we have fifty dead rebels at our feet. You will need to re-assess the territorial gains of the insurgent forces. No, it will not affect our ETA. Rendezvous in seven minutes.’ Estrus pulled his helmet off as Levi approached and reached for an order scroll from the sergeant at his side.

  ‘Brother codicier, you gave good account of yourself. I am pleased to see that your time at the Librarius honing your psychic skills has not softened your fighting prowess.’ He glanced at the scroll in his hand, arching a dark eyebrow. ‘I fear, however, that this rebellion has softened the brains of the loyalist commanders.’

  Levi tilted his helmet to acknowledge the captain’s remarks. ‘I do only my duty as any Black Consul would, captain.’ Distractedly, he looked over at a group of Black Consuls speaking to Aeorum. ‘Yet, something troubles me.’

  Estrus lowered the scroll, giving Levi his full attention. ‘What’s that, librarian? Are we to be beset by more foes before we meet Administrator Niall?’

  ‘I apologise for troubling you, captain; I cannot pinpoint the source of my vexation.’

  ‘Very well, librarian, but keep me informed. This disorderly planet also vexes me greatly and I do not wish for further surprises. Stay at my side.’ Estrus’s helmet-comm crackled into life once more and he flicked the speaker on with an armoured thumb and listened to the voice of Inquisitor Parax. He sighed. ‘Yes, inquisitor, we proceed. No, remain in your vehicle…’

  ADMINISTRATOR NIALL WAS an imposing figure, standing only a few inches shorter than the armoured figures of the Black Consuls nearby. His crimson cloak fluttered in the breeze that blew through the ruined town, the bright colour at odds with the sombre blacks and yellows of the Space Marines’ armour. The distant sound of small arms fire and the more regular pounding of battle cannons drifted along the same breeze. Levi studied Niall’s face as he spoke earnestly to Inquisitor Parax and Captain Estrus; the administrator’s young face seemed at odds with the premature grey of his long hair and neatly trimmed beard.

  ‘They must all be killed. Every one of them. Suracto has prided itself on its loyalty to the Imperium for decades and we must eradicate every last vestige of the smear that they have brought on our good name. I will not rest until I have personally overseen the execution of every last heretic.’ He indicated the ruins around him. ‘Every last soul in this town was put to death when we discovered the taint of heresy behind its closed doors.’

  Parax smiled grimly, his face registering as little emotion as the action could allow. ‘Admirable sentiments and noble actions, Administrator Niall, ones with which I concur wholeheartedly. The Inquisition commends your zeal and will seek to aid you in every way possible.’

  ‘And commendable as these rousing speeches are, we do have the Emperor’s work to do.’ Levi said quietly. ‘Let our actions speak first; self-congratulation you may indulge in later.’ The three other men turned to look at him. Levi saw a flash of annoyance pass across the faces of both Niall and Parax. Captain Estrus’s eyes blazed into life, stirred by his fellow Space Marine’s discipline and dedication.

  ‘Codicier Levi is right.’ Estrus said. ‘Pragmatism must be our watchword. We must act now, before the rebels can re-group. Administrator, what is the current situation?’

  Niall continued to stare at Levi for a moment longer before turning to speak to Estrus. ‘The main rebel force is on the other side of Thuram City. They have made some in-roads into the city itself but in the main the walls still hold. They are many, lightly armed save for a few battle cannons. However, their heretical vigour makes them formidable opponents.’

  ‘We shall be the judge of that.’ Estrus said. ‘Let—’

  ‘Let us use even greater force with which to crush them.’ interrupted the inquisitor. ‘Administrator Niall is right. Not one of them can be left standing.’

  Estrus frowned. ‘Inquisitor, I have warned you—’

  ‘You dare to warn the Inquisition?’

  ‘I have warned you that I will not brook any interference. We have the Emperor’s work before us and by Guilliman, none will prevent us. Come, Administrator Niall, we have much to do.’ Estrus led Niall away to the command Rhino.

  Inquisitor Parax turned his thin face towards Levi. His dark eyes burned with anger for an instant, before he regained his composure. He appeared to want to speak, thought better of it, turned and walked over to his retinue, calling for his armour.

  Levi turned to see Aeorum, helmet off, cleaning his bolter. The standard fluttered in the breeze an arm’s length away from the standard bearer, planted in a small mound of rabble. Aeorum looked up, caught Levi’s glance and raised his eyebrows. Levi nodded slowly, holding the standard bearer’s gaze. Then, as if controlled by a single thought, both Space Marines abruptly looked away and went about their own tasks.

  THE BLACK CONSULS were soon where they liked to be: in the thick of the battle, spilling the blood of heretics. The Second and Third Companies had each advanced around a side of the city, whilst the Fourth had moved to bolster the beleaguered loyal forces in the city itself. Beset on both sides by Space Marines, the rebels’ siege was beginning to crumble.

  A thick layer of battle-smoke hung over the southern outskirts of Thuram. The air was filled with a confusion of bolter and lasgun fire, the explosion of artillery rounds and the screams of the wounded and dying. Out of the smoky unknown, four lasgun rounds hit Levi in rapid succession, scoring the ceramite plates of his armour and singeing his over-tunic, but failing to penetrate further. He checked his IR scanner, found the sources of the shots and fired his bolter into the drifting pall of smoke. He heard the sound of the two bolter shells detonating as his infrared imaging showed him that they had found their mark – and that more rebels were closing on him from the right.

  Three figures emerged from the smoke: lightly armoured men, their pale faces haggard with fatigue. The first was no match for Levi’s reactions and barely had an opportunity to register the codicier’s chainsword before it parted his head from his shoulders. The second man, frozen in horror at his comrade’s sudden death was himself torn apart by a bolter round. The third man paused, lasgun hanging slackly at his side, gazing at his own reflection in Levi’s helmet. Levi paused, dimly aware of the buzzing of the chainsword in his own hand. A distant part of his mind admired the bravery of this rebel, fearlessly squaring up to an Imperial Space Marine. His sword began to describe an arc towards the man.

  ‘In the Emperor’s name, brother.’ Levi’s sword arm froze. The man had not opened his mouth to speak yet Levi had heard the words as clearly as the sound of the chainsword and the battle around him. He probed with his own mind. A psyker! He felt the man’s mind coil, gathering momentum for a psychic blast. Instinctively, Levi unleashed a pummelling mental attack of his own, tearing the man’s neurons apart. A small trickle of blood began to run from the man’s nose before he fell to his knees in front of the Space Marine, his mind destroyed. Levi despatched him with a single thrust, before powering down the chainsword.

  As he stepped over the corpse, Levi became aware of the stillness around him. In the far distance, towards the Second Company’s positions, the battle still raged, but in his immediate vicinity, calm had descended. Brother Consuls emerged from the smoke, doffing helmets or re-loading weapons. A cry rang out some distance away. Moments later, an armoured apothecary sped past towards the sound of the cry. A single heavy pistol shot rang out.

  Captain Estrus appeared at Levi’s side, accompanied by his sergeant aide. ‘This accursed smoke prevents us from assessing the situation, brother-librarian. We have lost two of our battle-brothers and three more are injured. Against a foe far more numerous, that is to be expected. But reports are fragmented and I cannot see the greater picture. What can you see?’

  Levi reached up for his helmet. There was a sharp hiss as his helmet seals released. The sergeant stepped
forward and took the ancient helm. Levi breathed deeply and reached out with his mind, probing tentatively at first, then moving further away, gathering impressions, visualising sights, sounds, smells. Satisfied, he moved his perceptions to the city.

  ‘—rarian! Brother-librarian! What’s wrong?’

  Levi gradually became aware of the captain’s voice once more. Even in his armour, Levi felt cold. He leaned on his chainsword for support as a momentary weakness passed through his body.

  ‘Codicier? How do our battle-brothers fare?’

  ‘Well enough, captain. The Second Company suffers but gains the upper hand. For now, the Fourth stand their ground. But I fear we have underestimated the rebels, captain. The city, captain…’

  Estrus kept his voice calm. ‘What of the city, codicier?’

  ‘It lies in a dark shadow, brother-captain. The unmistakable shadow of Chaos.’

  LEVI HEARD A bone crack as the inquisitor’s finger jabbed one of the prisoners in the chest. Tied to a charred wooden chair, the rebel winced but continued to stare directly at Parax. His voice hoarse after nearly an hour of interrogation, the young man straggled to speak calmly to the armoured inquisitor. ‘And I tell you that we fight for the Emperor, inquisitor. We are loyal to the Imperium. We are on your side. I can’t say it any clearer.’ The men huddled in the shadows behind him murmured in agreement. A glance from the Black Consul guard at their side silenced them.

  Parax whirled and faced the others in the burnt out room where they had assembled half a dozen prisoners taken in that first exchange. Drawn and tired as they were, all the rebels had said the same thing: they were loyal to the Emperor and Chaos had taken a hold in Planetary Lord Koln’s palace. Inquisitor Parax’s impatience had long been exhausted and a barely-controlled rage tinged his voice as he spoke.

  ‘Brother Space Marines, administrator: we can see clearly here how Chaos warps the mind and sullies the soul. They are compelled, against their wills perhaps, to utter these profanities and heresies, even when the truth of the matter is self-evident. Suracto’s peril is grave indeed.’ He paused and lowered his head, staring at the floor.

  Much as he disliked the showy flamboyance and melodrama of the man, Levi felt that he had to agree with the inquisitor. Chaos had so warped the minds of these rebels that they must have had no shred of understanding left. A grave peril, indeed.

  Before Parax could say anything further, the bound rebel spoke again. ‘The biggest profanity is that Chaos walks Suracto, clothed in Imperial garb and—’

  Before the noise of the autopistol shot had died away, a dozen servomotors whirred into life as the Black Consuls instinctively targeted Administrator Niall. The administrator slowly lowered his pistol and at a sign from Estrus, Levi, Aeorum and the other Space Marines lowered their own weapons. The force of the shot, hitting the prisoner in the throat, had pushed the rebel’s chair over and he had been dead before he landed at his horrified comrades’ feet.

  ‘Such heresy! I could not bear to hear it.’ Niall said, returning the autopistol into the folds of his cloak. ‘I have spent far too long building this administration for the greater glory of the Emperor to hear such filth spoken so brazenly.’

  ‘You have my sympathy, administrator.’ Parax said, gesturing discretely. Two of his stony-faced retainers appeared in the tattered doorway. ‘Take these vermin away and dispose of them.’ Using the ends of their lasguns to prod them along, the two retainers began to herd the rebels out of the door.

  ‘Wait a moment.’ Levi stepped forward, an unwelcome sense of unease playing in his mind. ‘We must not be hasty—’

  Parax squared up to the Librarian. ‘You plead for these traitorous scum? Where do your loyalties lie, Consul? You do not—’

  ‘His loyalties remain true, inquisitor!’ Parax involuntarily stepped away from Levi as Estrus’s iron voice cut him short. ‘Doubt it not. But my brother-librarian is right. We may miss an opportunity to find out more about the deployment of the rebel forces if we—’ A series of lasgun shots sounded outside. Estrus groaned. ‘Inquisitor, we are on the same side, yet your rash behaviour threatens to disrupt our operations here.’

  ‘Are you sure that we are on the same side, captain? Or has this cunning heresy affected you?’

  As the captain’s hand moved to his bolter, Levi sensed a strong psychic presence approach the ruin. He heard the crackle of Chaplain Mortem’s crozius arcanum moments before the battle rod and the fully-armoured figure of his holy brother dwarfed the ruined doorway.

  ‘Brothers, we must move out.’ Mortem said breathlessly. ‘The Second Company is overwhelmed. A counter-attack, brother-captain – and it seems like the entire planet is against us.’

  A BARRAGE OF Whirlwind missiles roared overhead as the speeders of the Second Company’s tenth squad screamed towards the heart of the rebel force. The rebel force had appeared unexpectedly from the south and was swarming towards a breach in the city walls. The missiles screamed into the distance; a series of explosions lit up the horizon. Satisfied that the rebels’ artillery capability had been disposed of, Estrus ordered the Third Company to advance.

  Aeorum, standard grasped in one hand and bolter in the other, led the first and second squads into the heart of the rebel counterattack. Possessed of an almost daemonic rage, rebels hurled themselves bodily at the Black Consuls but their attacks were in vain as black-armoured fists crushed skulls, bolter shells tore muscle and sinew apart, flamers and melta-guns incinerated skin and bone. Very soon, both squads struggled to make headway, their progress impeded by the waves of rebels dead at their feet.

  Levi tore his chainsword free from a dead rebel and in one smooth movement turned and hammered the pommel into the face of his compatriot. The blow shattered the man’s forehead with an audible crack, killing him before his limp body began its fall to the ground. Kicking the corpse to one side, Levi followed the men of the third and fourth squads towards Thuram’s breached walls. How he wished he could take his helmet off so that he could spit out the growing feeling of the rebels’ hatred, for it had become a vile taste in his mouth. The deadly hiss of a melta-gun made him glad he was still fully armoured. A wave of anguish washed over the librarian as the Black Consul next to him was reduced to dust. Levi scanned the enemy ranks for the weapon – there, less than twenty paces away, but there were too many of his brothers in the way. The melta-gun fired again and another Consul exploded into a superheated ball of flame.

  Time to fight fire with fire, Levi thought grimly.

  ‘Brother Consuls, hold your positions, hold your positions!’ Unquestioningly, the Space Marines heeded the codicier’s order and stopped in their tracks. Muttering a short prayer to the Emperor, Levi focused his mental energies on the ground beneath the rebel melta-gunner. With no further warning a white hot ball of flame erupted upwards from the ground, exploding outwards, engulfing the melta-gunner and a dozen men around him.

  Seemingly unfazed by the unexpected loss of their comrades, the remaining fifty rebels regrouped and charged both squads. A woman brought her autorifle to bear on Levi, but hesitated before firing. ‘Rot in hell, spawn of Chaos!’ she screamed. She opened fire, the gun on full auto, spraying Levi with bullets. Levi advanced against the hail of bullets that were bouncing ineffectually off his armour. Out of ammunition, the rebel battered the librarian’s chest with the butt of the gun. ‘Die heretic! D—’ Her words were cut short as the chainsword sliced through her waist.

  Levi stared at the bloody severed torso.

  This is not right. It had felt so, so wrong to kill her. Absently he fired his bolter at two men charging him down, felling both. Something exploded a few metres away, throwing Levi backwards. He landed heavily. A stream of damage data ran up his helmet readout but all Levi could see was the woman’s face, distorted by rage and hatred.

  ‘Brother, can you hear me?’ Levi tried to focus on the distant voice as a pair of armoured arms lifted him to a seated position. Apothecary Mordinian fumbled with Levi’s hel
met seals and removed the helmet. His lined face cracked into the briefest of smiles. ‘Ah, thank Guilliman, you are alive, brother-librarian. I took your silence for death. A frag grenade…’

  ‘What? No, I live, as you see.’ Levi still felt dazed, unsure whether it was the aftershock of the grenade blast or something else. ‘How do we fare?’

  ‘Well, librarian, well. We must have accounted for over three hundred of the rebels.’ He examined Levi as he spoke. ‘The Second has regrouped over there, and we await the order to – ah, you are wounded.’ Levi became dimly aware of a discomfort in his right leg as the apothecary dressed the wound. He put the pain out of his mind as easily as if it was any other emotion. The apothecary helped him to his feet. ‘A few minutes and the dressing will begin to- Oh, I must tend to another. Go well, brother.’

  As the apothecary hurried away, Levi replaced his helmet before taking in the scene around him for the first time. Black Consuls of the first to sixth squads of the Third Company were coming together, within a few hundred metres of the city walls, a black and yellow armoured mass in a sea of torn and bloody rebel dead. He caught sight of Aeorum. The standard bearer was making his way over to him, pausing now and again to speak a few words to squad members. Levi checked his viewscreen reports before watching the fifth squad’s sergeant reverently touching the edge of the standard before turning to muster his men.

  ‘Brother Aeorum, your inspiration gives us all courage. The Second Company holds its position but the Fourth is beleaguered.’

  ‘Yes, I saw the reports.’ Aeorum glanced over his shoulder. ‘We move to hold the breach soon. Brother Estrus awaits the word from Captain Vanem of the Fourth. Yet you seem… distracted, brother.’